To a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, there are few principles as important as the principle of “agency.” Agency is a gift from God to allow us personal growth through liberty and choice. In life, we choose what to be and how to live. God sent His Son Jesus Christ to free us from the bondage of sin and give us liberty through the gospel, but he also knew that oppressive governments would never allow the gospel to flourish. Totalitarian states create systems of control over their populations such that the right to worship is restricted or controlled.

Consider the case of the early settlers of this country. Many of them fled England because their natural rights were being violated. They had no freedom to worship God as they saw fit. To hold political office and influence laws, one had to be a member of the state church, the Church of England.

The Land of Promise

Ancient prophets on the American continent had great views of latter-day America. They saw things concerning the destiny of this country and how God would use it as a base of freedom, both religiously and politically, and called this country “the land of promise.” These prophesies are recorded in The Book of Mormon, another witness of Jesus Christ, and a companion volume of scripture to the Holy Bible.

One such prophet named Nephi, saw in vision the events that would lead up to the founding of this nation. He recorded in 1 Nephi 13 the following events (red text are my comments):

Discovery of America by Columbus

10 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld many waters; and they divided the Gentiles (Europeans) from the seed of my brethren (native Americans).
11 And it came to pass that the angel said unto me: Behold the wrath of God is upon the seed of thy brethren.
12 And I looked and beheld a man (Columbus) among the Gentiles, who was separated from the seed of my brethren by the many waters; and I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down and wrought upon the man; and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land.

Settlers follow

13 And it came to pass that I beheld the Spirit of God, that it wrought upon other Gentiles; and they went forth out of captivity, upon the many waters.
14 And it came to pass that I beheld many multitudes of the Gentiles upon the land of promise; and I beheld the wrath of God, that it was upon the seed of my brethren; and they were scattered before the Gentiles and were smitten (Some settlers like Cortez wreaked devastation on the American continents).

The people flourish and are righteous

15 And I beheld the Spirit of the Lord, that it was upon the Gentiles, and they did prosper and obtain the land for their inheritance; and I beheld that they were white, and exceedingly fair and beautiful, like unto my people before they were slain.
16 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles who had gone forth out of captivity did humble themselves before the Lord; and the power of the Lord was with them.

The Revolutionary War

17 And I beheld that their mother Gentiles were gathered together upon the waters, and upon the land also, to battle against them.
18 And I beheld that the power of God was with them, and also that the wrath of God was upon all those that were gathered together against them to battle.
19 And I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles that had gone out of captivity were delivered by the power of God out of the hands of all other nations.

Nephi sees they have the Bible

20 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld that they did prosper in the land; and I beheld a book, and it was carried forth among them.
21 And the angel said unto me: Knowest thou the meaning of the book?
22 And I said unto him: I know not.
23 And he said: Behold it proceedeth out of the mouth of a Jew. And I, Nephi, beheld it; and he said unto me: The book that thou beholdest is a record of the Jews, which contains the covenants of the Lord, which he hath made unto the house of Israel; and it also containeth many of the prophecies of the holy prophets; and it is a record like unto the engravings which are upon the plates of brass (these plates were records that Nephi’s family brought from Jerusalem and contained the ancient scriptures from Adam to the time of Jeremiah), save there are not so many; nevertheless, they contain the covenants of the Lord, which he hath made unto the house of Israel; wherefore, they are of great worth unto the Gentiles.

The U.S. Constitution

In 1787 the 13 separate states became a nation with the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. At this moment in history, the Lord brought together an amazing group of men to create a document that would ensure political freedom and guarantee rights to life, liberty, and property.

Modern Day Revelation Affirms the Constitution

In 1820, the Lord opened the heavens in answer to a young boy’s prayer and called him to be a prophet just like prophets were called anciently. His name was Joseph Smith and the revelations he received are recorded in a book of scripture the LDS church uses in conjunction with the Bible and Book of Mormon. That book is known as the Doctrine & Covenants because it contains doctrine and instruction in the covenants of the Lord. There are several references in those revelations to this nation and its founding as well.

D&C 98:4-8

4 And now, verily I say unto you concerning the laws of the land, it is my will that my people should observe to do all things whatsoever I command them.
5 And that law of the land which is constitutional, supporting that principle of freedom in maintaining rights and privileges, belongs to all mankind, and is justifiable before me.
6 Therefore, I, the Lord, justify you, and your brethren of my church, in befriending that law which is the constitutional law of the land;
7 And as pertaining to law of man, whatsoever is more or less than this, cometh of evil.
8 I, the Lord God, make you free, therefore ye are free indeed; and the law also maketh you free.

D&C 101:77-80

77 According to the laws and constitution of the people, which I have suffered to be established, and should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles;
78 That every man may act in doctrine and principle pertaining to futurity, according to the moral agency which I have given unto him, [block]17[/block]
79 Therefore, it is not right that any man should be in bondage one to another.
80 And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood.

D&C 109:54 (This is from the dedicatory prayer for the Kirtland, Ohio temple)

54 Have mercy, O Lord, upon all the nations of the earth; have mercy upon the rulers of our land; may those principles, which were so honorably and nobly defended, namely, the Constitution of our land, by our fathers, be established forever.

But what about slavery?

Observant readers will notice in D&C 101:79 the Lord says it is not right that man should be in bondage to each other, and yet some say slavery was written into the constitution. At the time our country was founded, we never would have gotten the constitution passed unless there was a provision for the South to keep their slaves. They would never have ratified the document. The 3/5ths clause in the constitution has caused many people to stumble in their understanding that the document was a document of freedom.

The South wanted greater representation in congress and so they wanted to count their slaves as people for purposes of representation in congress. The North then said if the South was going to count slaves, which the South regarded as property, the North would use other objects of property such as animals to increase their representation. This led to a compromise position where the constitution would count 3/5ths of a slave as a person for purposes of representation and thus the anti-slavery North would retain greater representation. It had nothing to do with black men being only worth 3/5ths the value of a white man. It was inherently an anti-slave position to reduce the power of the pro-slavery South if they fully counted slaves. (Click to watch a video clip by David Barton and Glenn Beck to see this explanation)

America is the Promised Land

With the Constitution established, this country became a place of hope and freedom, attracting immigrants from around the world to come and live their dreams in an environment where they could flourish. Their desires to worship God blessed their lives and rooted them in a choice land.

To summarize, in the LDS faith, we believe the Lord prepared this land for a glorious purpose. He established it as a place where political freedom would maximize individual liberty and allow for a restoration of His gospel under the protection of the inspired Constitution. Most people that have never read the Book of Mormon have no idea what it actually contains. They have no idea that it is a Book of Scripture from ancient American prophets who saw our day and wrote the book especially for us. They not only preach the gospel of Jesus Christ as a second witness to the Bible, but also discuss principles of government and the destiny of this nation. I encourage you to get a free copy of the Book of Mormon and read it for yourself. I know anyone who reads it and asks God with an honest heart if it is true will receive an answer that it is.

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This was part 2 of a 2 part series. Click here to read part 1, “Is the United States in the Bible?”

Related Articles:
What does the Book of Mormon teach about Jesus Christ?

The post Why Do Mormons believe the Constitution of the United States was inspired by God? appeared first on Meet members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Jacob’s Inspired Blessing to Joseph

In the book of Genesis just prior to the death of Jacob the Patriarch, he called his sons together to bless each of them with prophetic pronouncements. His son Joseph, on whom was the birthright blessing, was given this blessing in Genesis 49.

22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:

23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:

24 But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)

25 Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:

26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.

In the LDS faith, we interpret this as being Joseph’s descendents (branches) would be numerous (fruitful). They would travel (run) over an ocean (well of water) which is difficult for a desert people (wall representing the difficulty). They would arrive in a promised land containing everlasting hills and be separated from their brethren in the same way Joseph was separated from his brethren during his life. The American continent is the only one in the world with mountains that run from the top of North America to the bottom of South America. We believe these verses show the promised land given to Joseph was upon this continent.

Interestingly, in the book “The American Covenant” by Timothy Ballard, he references page 28 in “The Freemasons in America” by Paul Jeffers which notes that George Washington took his first oath of office with the Bible opened to Genesis 49 during his swearing in ceremony.

Joseph’s Separation to Egypt

We know during Joseph’s life that he was separated from his family when his brothers sold him into Egypt. That separation later turned to enormous good as Joseph saved his family during a difficult famine in the land. God’s foreknowledge of events provided a great blessing to his covenant people by putting them through a sore trial, especially for Joseph. This separation and later salvation, is a parallel or shadow of events that would take place on a macro-level with the 12 tribes of Israel. Verse 26 above indicates there would be another separation.

The Lord’s House to be established in America

In Isaiah chapter 2 we read another interesting prophesy concerning America.

2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

Verse 2 shares some of the same language as Joseph’s blessing above. Interestingly, Isaiah declares that the mountain of the Lord’s house would be established in the top of the mountains. That certainly isn’t Jerusalem Isaiah is talking about because it’s pretty much at sea level. So what could Isaiah be referring to?

A mountain is where ancient prophets like Moses went to have holy experiences such as on Sinai where he spoke with God face to face as a man speaketh with another (Exodus 33:11). The Lord’s house is called a temple. In all the world, only one religion claims to have a purpose in building temples and their main temple from which they have established their church is in the Rocky Mountains. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints’ headquarters is located in Salt Lake City, Utah, where there is a temple built to God and where literally several million people come and visit each year. Nobody else even makes a claim to fulfill this prophecy of Isaiah’s.

Further on in Isaiah 19 and 20, it’s quite possible that Egypt represents modern day America in symbolic imagery. Jesus also speaks of “other sheep which are not of this fold” which he will bring back and you can read more about that in this article “What is a Mormon?“. There are other passages which could be mentioned but this will have to do for groundwork.

America is the Land of Promise for Joseph’s Descendants

The Bible shows that God promised his children various promised lands. The Bible also shows that God spoke with his covenant people through prophets. Joseph’s descendants, as prophesied in the Genesis 49 quote above, separated from their brethren around 600 B.C. just prior to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. They were led by a prophet named Lehi who was a contemporary of Jeremiah in the Old Testament. Both were preaching the destruction of Jerusalem unless the people repented. It was at this time the Lord chose to separate Joseph’s branch from his brothers and took them over the ocean wall to the America’s. Yet in Ezekiel 37:15-19 we read a prophesy that a stick of Judah (ie. the writings of the Jews we have as the Bible) would someday be joined together with the writings from the stick of Joseph (which is the record of Joseph’s tribe which is called the Book of Mormon). In the Book of Mormon we read much about America’s prophetic destiny. Lehi and his family and descendants knew this was a choice land that God appointed for greatness.

America as mentioned in the Book of Mormon

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the writings of the prophets that lived here anciently.

2 Nephi 1

5 But, said he, notwithstanding our afflictions, we have obtained a land of promise, a land which is choice above all other lands; a land which the Lord God hath covenanted with me should be a land for the inheritance of my seed. Yea, the Lord hath covenanted this land unto me, and to my children forever, and also all those who should be led out of other countries by the hand of the Lord.

6 Wherefore, I, Lehi, prophesy according to the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that there shall none come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord.

7 Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever.

Ether 2

7 And the Lord would not suffer that they should stop beyond the sea in the wilderness, but he would that they should come forth even unto the land of promise, which was choice above all other lands, which the Lord God had preserved for a righteous people.

8 And he had sworn in his wrath unto the brother of Jared, that whoso should possess this land of promise, from that time henceforth and forever, should serve him, the true and only God, or they should be swept off when the fulness of his wrath should come upon them.

9 And now, we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it is a land of promise; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God, or they shall be swept off when the fulness of his wrath shall come upon them. And the fulness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity.

10 For behold, this is a land which is choice above all other lands; wherefore he that doth possess it shall serve God or shall be swept off; for it is the everlasting decree of God. And it is not until the fulness of iniquity among the children of the land, that they are swept off.

11 And this cometh unto you, O ye Gentiles, that ye may know the decrees of God—that ye may repent, and not continue in your iniquities until the fulness come, that ye may not bring down the fulness of the wrath of God upon you as the inhabitants of the land have hitherto done.

12 Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who hath been manifested by the things which we have written.

Ether 13

4 Behold, Ether saw the days of Christ, and he spake concerning a New Jerusalem upon this land.

5 And he spake also concerning the house of Israel, and the Jerusalem from whence Lehi should come—after it should be destroyed it should be built up again, a holy city unto the Lord; wherefore, it could not be a new Jerusalem for it had been in a time of old; but it should be built up again, and become a holy city of the Lord; and it should be built unto the house of Israel—

6 And that a New Jerusalem should be built up upon this land, unto the remnant of the seed of Joseph, for which things there has been a type.

7 For as Joseph brought his father down into the land of Egypt, even so he died there; wherefore, the Lord brought a remnant of the seed of Joseph out of the land of Jerusalem, that he might be merciful unto the seed of Joseph that they should perish not, even as he was merciful unto the father of Joseph that he should perish not.

8 Wherefore, the remnant of the house of Joseph shall be built upon this land; and it shall be a land of their inheritance; and they shall build up a holy city unto the Lord, like unto the Jerusalem of old; and they shall no more be confounded, until the end come when the earth shall pass away.

Get a free copy of the stick of Joseph, the Book of Mormon

You can get the record of prophets in the ancient Americas by clicking this link for a free copy of the stick of Joseph. There is no obligation. I just encourage you to read it for yourself and make up your own mind about the truthfulness of this book. I know the Book of Mormon is true and that the Bible does in fact mention the United States and the record of ancient prophets upon this continent.

Part 2: Why Do Mormons believe the Constitution of the United States was inspired by God?

Related Articles:
What does the Book of Mormon teach about Jesus Christ?

The post Is the United States mentioned in the Bible? appeared first on Meet members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.